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Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation (or CARA) was a traveling exhibit of Chicano/a artists which toured the United States from 1990 through 1993. [1] CARA visited ten major cities and featured over 128 individual works by about 180 different Chicano/a artists. [2] The show was also intended to visit Madrid and Mexico City. [3] CARA was the first time a Chicano exhibit received major attention from the press and it was the first exhibit that collaborated between Chicanos and major museums in the U.S. [4] The show was considered a "notable event in the development of Chicano art." [5] Another unique feature of CARA was the "extensive planning" that attempted to be as inclusive as possible and which took place more than five years prior to the opening at Wight Art Gallery. [6]
The final touring exhibit included paintings, murals and installations. [2] Over forty murals were shown via slideshow. [3] The first section of the show contained a short history of Chicanos going back to the pre-Columbian era, discussing the concept of Aztlán and including significant events up until 1965. [2] The other areas of the exhibit were divided into themes that were representative of the Chicano movement: Feminist Visions, Reclaiming the Past, Regional Expressions and Redefining American Art. [6] There were also three separate spaces devoted to the important Chicano collective arts movements, Asco, Los Four and the Royal Chicano Air Force. [4] Uniquely, at the time for a museum show, the art was shown in context with the history and politics of the Chicano movement. [7] In addition, the art shown in the exhibit was "created by Chicanos for other Chicanos." [8]
CARA's name is also a play on words since the Spanish word for face is cara. [9]
The CARA exhibit was created through the joint actions of the Wight Art Gallery at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the CARA National Advisory Committee. [8] These two groups started planning in 1984, but the idea for the exhibit began in 1983, when Cecelia Klein, Shifra Goldman, and several graduate students (Maria de Herrera, Holly Barnet-Sanchez and Marcos Sanchez-Tranquilino) asked the new director of the Wight Art Gallery, Edith Tonelli, about creating a unique Chicano art exhibit. [6] The Wight Art Gallery, with help from Klein and Goldman, applied for funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). They were originally turned down because the word "Chicano" made some of the backers "uncomfortable." [8] [10] Other topics addressed by CARA, such as a critical stance on American cultural politics and the "myth of the melting pot" also intimidated the NEH. [10] [11] A second try for funds from the NEH took place in 1985 and the term Chicano was carefully explained and outlined. [8] This time, after "considerable debate," funds were granted in 1986. [8] The disbursement of funds took some time, however, because of controversy in Congress about censorship, funding the arts and the proposed defunding of programs. [8] Eventually the Rockefeller Foundation stepped in and helped during the initial planning process and the implementation phases of the project. [8]
The project rejected the conventional structure of having a single curator for the art and chose instead to collaborate on control of the art and administration. [10] Those involved with the project were very careful to work with the Chicano community so that Chicanos could speak for themselves, rather than having an institution impose upon them. [8] [12] This later allowed the exhibit to become more than just an art show, but rather an "extension of the ongoing efforts of the Chicano Movement." [4] To ensure that Chicano voices were heard, a large committee of over 40 Chicano scholars, artists and administrators was recruited and broken up into various committees to oversee, select, design and create regional task forces. [8] An "ongoing process of negotiation" was status quo for the project. [13]
The exhibit opened at Wight Art Gallery on September 9, 1990. [4]
As the show toured, there were some unique ways to promote local interest. At the El Paso Museum of Art, there was a lowrider parade that initiated the opening of the show and in addition, there were several works in CARA that contained images of lowriders. [14] The Albuquerque Museum of Art staged a lowrider car show on the opening day of the exhibit. [14]
CARA closed after its last engagement, which was at the Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas. [4]
There were large crowds at the exhibition in every city. [15]
CARA challenged many art critics to look beyond what had been considered "mainstream" or "traditional" fine art. [16] The exhibition was successful in bringing new ideas to viewers. [17] It also challenged viewers and critics alike to see value in the intersection of politics and art. [16] The art was considered "complex" and "contentious" and also having a "vibrant agenda." [17] Some critics, in fact, conflated the politics of the art to such a degree that they felt the show was not about the art at all, but instead only about the message. [18] Other critics seemed uncomfortable with the art they were viewing. [15]
For Chicanos/as themselves, it was exciting and moving to see their own lives, culture, ideas and struggles reflected in art. [19] Many viewers and critics expressed the feeling that "at long last Chicanos could see themselves reflected and represented...a process of both aesthetic and political validation." [18] The exhibition inspired many young Latino people to look into their own genealogy and appreciate their Chicano roots. [20] CARA taught many non-Latino Americans about Chicano life, history, ideology and culture. [20] CARA also helped those in the U.S. learn to appreciate the nuanced differences between "Hispanic" and "Chicano." [3]
CARA challenged the mainstream art world to view Chicano art as an important art movement that stands on equal footing with other well-recognized art movements. [16] CARA also established Chicano art as something other than a "subculture" [21] though it was often feared that the Chicano art was displayed in an academic way that would "erode" or destroy the true meaning of the art. [22] Nevertheless, the subject matter of CARA stretched the boundaries of what traditionally could or should be shown in a museum setting. [9] The exhibition also succeeded at "imploding myths and stereotypes that said Chicanos had no image-making lineage, or that their work could not compete aesthetically, technically, or conceptually on a national and international level." [12]
CARA was the first exhibition of its type and set a standard for curatorial practices surrounding Chicano art and exhibits. [6] [22] CARA would later be used as a "template" for creating other exhibits with Chicano artists. [12]
CARA also helped raise awareness that museums should learn to have a "close working relationship with the communities they represent," which means that there should be more diversity in the artwork shown by these organizations. [22] In addition to working with the community to represent more diversity, it also exposed other issues, such as corporate sponsorship in museums. [23] CARA also clearly demonstrated that there was still a critical bias towards men being represented more often than women in museums and in the arts. [10]
Artists who showed work with CARA, like Gaspar Enriquez, found that more of their art started selling as it gained more exposure in different markets. [24] [25] Not all artists found themselves in the same situation, but for many, doors were opened in mainstream markets, collections, lecture circuits and museums. [18]
CARA also filled a void that was left when many Chicano art collectives began to break down. [26]
"We made valiant efforts to things through--every one of these sessions became a philosophical discussion...In fact, I feel like I've been through an incredible course in Chicanismo."—Judith Baca [8]
"I loved this exhibit. It's like looking in a mirror. It's really seeing the heart of my people."—Anonymous [15]
Castillo, Richard Griswold Del; McKenna, Teresa; Yarbro-Bejarano, Yvonne, eds. (1991). Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation. Los Angeles, California: Wight Art Gallery. pp. 26–32. ISBN 0943739152.
Chicano or Chicana is an ethnic identity for Mexican Americans who have a non-Anglo self-image, embracing their indigenous ancestry. Chicano was originally a classist and racist slur used toward low-income Mexicans that was reclaimed in the 1940s among youth who belonged to the Pachuco and Pachuca subculture. In the 1960s, Chicano was widely reclaimed in the building of a movement toward political empowerment, ethnic solidarity, and pride in being of indigenous descent. Chicano developed its own meaning separate from Mexican American identity. Youth in barrios rejected cultural assimilation into whiteness and embraced their own identity and worldview as a form of empowerment and resistance. The community forged an independent political and cultural movement, sometimes working alongside the Black power movement.
The Royal Chicano Air Force (RCAF) is a Sacramento, California-based art collective, founded in 1970 by Ricardo Favela, José Montoya and Esteban Villa. It was one of the "most important collective artist groups" in the Chicano art movement in California during the 1970s and the 1980s and continues to be influential into the 21st century.
Carlos D. Almaraz was a Mexican-American artist and a pioneer of the Chicano art movement. He was one of the founder of the Centro de Arte Público (1977–1979), a Chicano/Chicana arts organization in Highland Park, Los Angeles.
The Chicano Movement, also referred to as El Movimiento, was a social and political movement in the United States that worked to embrace a Chicano/a identity and worldview that combated structural racism, encouraged cultural revitalization, and achieved community empowerment by rejecting assimilation. Chicanos also expressed solidarity and defined their culture through the development of Chicano art during El Movimiento, and stood firm in preserving their religion.
The Centro Cultural de la Raza is a non-profit organization with the specific mission to create, preserve, promote and educate about Chicano, Mexicano, Native American and Latino art and culture. It is located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California.The cultural center supports and encourages the creative expression “of the indigenous cultures of the Americas.” It is currently a member of the American Alliance of Museums.
Gilbert "Magu" Luján was a well known and influential Chicano sculptor, muralist and painter. He founded the famous Chicano collective Los Four that consisted of artists Carlos Almaraz, Beto de la Rocha, Frank Romero and himself. In 1974, Judithe Hernández became the "fifth" and only female member of Los Four.
Galería de la Raza (GDLR) is a non-profit art gallery and artist collective founded in 1970, that serves the largely Chicano and Latino population of San Francisco's Mission District. GDLR mounts exhibitions, hosts poetry readings, workshops, and celebrations, sells works of art, and sponsors youth and artist-in-residence programs. Exhibitions at the Galería tend to feature the work of minority and developing country artists and concern issues of ethnic history, identity, and social justice.
César Augusto Martínez is an artist, prominent in the field of Chicano art. While studying at what was then called Texas A&I College, he became involved in the Chicano movement for civil rights. He subsequently befriended several of its leaders.
Alma López is a Mexican-born Queer Chicana artist. Her art often portrays historical and cultural Mexican figures, such as the Virgin of Guadalupe and La Llorona, filtered through a radical Chicana feminist lesbian lens. Her art work is meant to empower women and indigenous Mexicans by the reappropriation of symbols of Mexica history when women played a more prominent role. The medium of digital art allows her to mix different elements from Catholicism and juxtapose it to indigenous art, women, and issues such as rape, gender violence, sexual marginalization and racism. This juxtaposition allows her to explore the representation of women and indigenous Mexicans and their histories that have been lost or fragmented since colonization. Her work is often seen as controversial. Currently, she is a lecturer at the University of California Los Angeles in the Department of Chicana/o Studies.
The Chicano Art Movement represents groundbreaking movements by Mexican-American artists to establish a unique artistic identity in the United States. Much of the art and the artists creating Chicano Art were heavily influenced by Chicano Movement which began in the 1960s.
Patssi Valdez is an American Chicana artist. She is a founding member of the art collective Asco. Valdez's work represents some of the finest Chicana avant-garde expressionism which includes but not limited to painting, sculpture and fashion design. She lives and works in Los Angeles, California.
Willie Herrón III is an American Chicano muralist, performance artist and commercial artist.
Rita Sanchez is an American academic in the field of Chicana/o studies.
Yreina Cervantez is an American artist and Chicana activist who is known for her multimedia painting, murals, and printmaking. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, and her work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Mexican Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum, and the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art.
Melesio "Mel" Casas was an American artist, activist, writer and teacher who is best known for his paintings that address Chicano topics. He used visual statements, his sense of humor and love of puns to "address cultural stereotypes." His work has been collected by the San Antonio Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, as well as national and international private collectors. His most important series consists of 150+ large-scale paintings called "Humanscapes" that were painted between 1965 and 1989. Casas, who served as president of the Con Safo art group, was also well known as a writer and theorist. His "Brown Paper Report" is regarded as an important Chicano document. Casas emphasized the importance of "self-determination" and equality for Chicanos/as. He is regarded as one of the foundational figures of Chicano Art. Casas felt that once artists had a fair chance to exhibit in the United States, then they would become part of "Americana."
Rafael Esparza is an American performance artist who lives and works in Los Angeles. His work includes performances affecting his physical well-being and installations constructed from adobe bricks. Esparza often works with collaborators, including members of his family.
Delilah Montoya is a contemporary artist and educator who was born in Fort Worth, Texas and was raised in Omaha, Nebraska by her Anglo-American father and Latina mother. She earned her BA, MA and MFA from the University of New Mexico. Her art is noted for its exploration of Chicana identity and for innovative printmaking and photographic processes. She is also noted for her use of mixed-media installations and often incorporates iconic religious symbols in her pieces. Montoya divides her time between Albuquerque and Houston. She taught at the University of New Mexico, Institute of American Indian Arts and California State University before accepting her current position at the University of Houston. She was a 2008 Artadia awardee.
The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture & Industry of the Riverside Art Museum, or The Cheech, is an art museum and academic center in Riverside, California, United States. The center is focused on the presentation and study of chicano art from across the United States. It is a collaborative effort between stand-up comedian, actor, and writer Cheech Marin, who has donated his collection of more than 700 pieces of Chicano art, the City of Riverside, which provided the facilities to house the collection, and the Riverside Art Museum, which manages the center. The collection is housed in the old Riverside public library, and strives to be a world-class institution for the research and study of "all things [related to] Chicano art". It is the first North American facility dedicated to Mexican-American art.
Elizabeth Sisco is an artist active in the Chicano art movement.
Margaret Garcia is a Chicana muralist, educator, and arts-advocate based in Los Angeles.